Image Club – May 2014

Choosing our monthly winners of the Image Club competition is never easy.

Fortunately we can delegate the task to one of our contributing photographers. Their deftness at analysing images is always educational and fun.

This month Anita de Villiers was tasked with judging duties. Here are just the top two of the four prizewinners. How does her interpretation differ from yours? Would you also have given the top spot Claudio’s bee? Or do you prefer the electric morning energy of Marta’s horses?

First Prize (R2 000) Filling the frame with a single strong colour is sure to attract the attention. In macro photography, focus is critical because the depth of field is typically quite shallow. Focus is pin sharp on the head, eye and front leg of the bee, exactly where the viewer’s eye should settle. By using diffused flash, the photographer further enlivens these strategic focus points. An exceptional macro image.

Second Prize (R1 500) The energy of the horses running through this verdant landscape swathed in layers of mist is tangible, and the photographer certainly managed to capture the mood of the moment. As a result of the shallow depth of field, the front third of the image is out of focus. By cropping to a panorama format during post-production, the photographer can eliminate this negative space and at the same time position the horses on the bottom third line, thus enhancing the composition.

This month’s judge is Anita de Villiers, a professional photographer and freelance photojournalist. Anita has a diploma in photography, teaches photography and runs wildlife and fine art photography workshops. Anita views technical excellence and the ‘rules’ of composition as the first steps in exploring this dynamic medium, and believes the uniqueness of a photographer’s image is what communicates visually. Bend the rules, play with light, capture the emotion of a decisive moment to venture into the world of expressive imaging. www.anitadevilliers.co.za